Needle threading device



Jan. 15, 1957 R. BALZER 2,777,623

NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Filed om. 2e, 1955 E L N a. 62

EG.. Z

VUnited States Patent NEEDLE THREADING DEVICE Rudolf Balzer, Sepulveda, Calif.

Application October 26, 1953, Serial No. 388,368

3 Claims. (Cl. 223-99) This invention has to do with a needle threading device and it is a general object of this invention to provide a simple, practical, improved needle threader, particularly useful and practical for use by seamstresses and tailors.

The ordinary or usual needle is characterized by an elongate shank sharpened at one end and provided with a head at the other end. Such needles are manufactured in various sizes. However, the needles commonly used forhand sewing are of about the same size and the eyes are located at about the same position in the head.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an article of manufacture operable to aid the threading of common needles, which article is of simple, inexpensive construction and such that it can be quickly, conveniently and effectively used.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned, which is composed of but few mechanical parts and which is practical for use s that the user can manipulate the device with one hand.

It is an object of this invention to provide a structure of the character referred to which operates to position the needle within the device so that the thread handled thereby is accurately `and easily inserted through the eye of the needle, and so that the needle may be withdrawn from the device with the thread applied thereto.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a needle threading device of the character referred to which is completely free of sharp projections or like elements, so that no delicate parts are exposed to damage and so that the hand of the user will not become injured in any way.

Itis another object of this invention to provide a needle threading device wherein the actuated parts are housed and protected so that they cannot be damaged in any way during operation of the device.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical preferred form and application of my invention, throughout which description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the needle threader that I have provided. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 4 is a plan sectional view taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 5 5 on Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detailed sectional View taken as indicated by line 6 6 on Fig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are views sirnilar to Fig. 6, showing the parts in diterent operative positions. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view taken transversely of the body and showing the needle receiving means that I have provided, and Fig. l0 is an enlarged perspective view of the plunger that I have provided for engaging the thread.

The device or structure that l have provided is useful generally for the threading of common needles. However, it can be used to great advantage in threading the Patented Jan. 15, 1957 smaller sizes of needles. In the drawings, a needle N is shown and is adapted to be received by the threading device that I have provided. A'/'I'he needle is shown as involving an elongate shank with a sharpened tip 61 at one end, and with a head or eye 62 at the other end. The eye 62 receives or passes a thread T as the device is operated in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

in accordance with the present invention, the device that I have provided preferably involves an assembly of parts including, a base X, a spool handling means Y carried on the base and rotatably receiving a spool S of thread, or the like, needle handling means Z for receiving and 'storing a number of needles N, and the needle threading device hereinafter described. The means Y involves a simple pin projecting upwardly from the base X, and the means Z involves a felt pad, or the like, secured to the top of the base.

The needle threading device that l have provided involves, generally, a body A carried by the base X, needle receiving means B in the body A, thread receiving means C in the body A adjacent the means B, threading means D for applying the thread to the head of the needle, thread holding means E for gripping the thread and drawing it through the head of the needle, and thread cutting means F for severing the thread.

ri`he body A may be of any suitable size and shape, and is preferably a flat, vertically disposed element as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The body A has a top 10, a rear wall or end 11, a front wall or end 12, and side Walls 13 and 14. Finger gripping recesses 15 and 16 are provided in the top 10 and front end 12 for engagement by the hand or ngers of the user. As shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the body A is divided bi-laterally into two halves or shells which may be secured together at 17, midway between the sides 13 and 14, to facilitate manufacture of the body A. lt will be understood how the shells of the body may be molded to provide the necessary cavities or recesses necessary to accommodate the mechanism hereinafter described. The body A is secured to the base X by means of suitable screw fasteners 18 engaged with a boss 19 on the base X.

The needle receiving means B is characterized by a guideway 20 that enters the top 10 of the body A to receive and handle the needle N. The guideway 20 is preferably vertically disposed and enters the top 10 near the front end 12 of the body and terminates at a point spaced downwardly from the top 10. The guideway 20 is adapted to receive the head or eye 62 of needle N, so that the needle is engaged with the guideway throughout a substantial portion of its shank 6i), and so that the tip 61 projects upwardly from the top of the body as shown in Fig. l ofthe drawings.

As shown in Figs. 6 to 9 of `the drawings, the guideway 20 may be diamond shaped or substantially square in plan cross section, and is shown formed diagonally within the body A between the sides 13 and 14. It is a feature of the present invention to so relate the guideway 2@ that convergent walls 2da and 20h are formed. That is, the walls 23a and 2Gb of guideway 20 are at an angle relative to the side walls 13 and 14 and converge together toward the front end 12 of the body A. The Walls 20a and Zlb are vertically disposed and are parallel with each other, with the exception of the top portions thereof, which are divergent to form an enlarged opening for aiding the entrance of the needle N. As shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the guideway 20 terminates in a bottom 21 and has an upper portion 23 that readily and freely passes the head 62 of the needle, and a reduced lower portion 22 for more accurately receiving and centering the head 62 of the needle. The bottom 21 is formed by the end face of an adjusting screw 25 which may be adjusted to .vary the position of the needle head 62 relative to the threading means hereinafter described.

The thread receiving means C is characterized by a slot in the top 10 of thebody that entends transversely between the sides 13 and 14. The slot is located adjacent to ,and toward the rear of the guideway 2l), and is preferably V-shaped. The slot has upwardly and outwardly divergent walls 26 and 27, which converge downwardly to a thread positioning vertex portion 28. The wall Y26 extends downwardly and forwardly from the top 10, while the wall 27 extends substantially vertically or slightly downwardly and forwardly from the top 10, so that the portion 28 is close to the portion 22 of the guideway 2t). The vertex portion 2&3 is spaced from the top `1l) and, as shown in the drawings, is on a level with the bottom portion 22 of the guideway 2l).

As shown in the drawings (see Fig. the guideway 20 and the slot are in communication with each other through a thread passage 24. The passage 24 is formed by providing a pair of spaced walls 24a and 24b which are vertically disposed, parallel with each other, and which extend longitudinally between the means C and B. The passage 24 is open to the thread receiving slot C, is open to the guideway 29, and opens at the top of body A to allow the thread T to be withdrawn from the device after it has been threaded into theneedle as hereinafter described.

The threading means D is provided to transport the thread and acts to pick up the thread T from the means C and pass it through the head or eye of the needle N carried in the means B, and includes, generally, a plunger 30 and actuating means 35 for operating the plunger. The plunger 30 is a slender elongate horizontally disposed part, rectangular in cross sectional configuration and is operable to reciprocate longitudinally between the ends of the body A. A thread engaging end portion 31 is provided on the forward end of the plunger 30 which has a concave face 32 for engaging the thread T. The plunger 30 is slidably carried in a passageway 33 which extends horizontally in the body A and intersects the vertex portion 28 of means C and projects through the lower portion 22 of means B. The passageway 33 extends between the slot and guideway 2%, is in communication with the passage 24, and intersects guideway where the upper portion 23 and lower portion 22 are joined.

The actuating means 35 acts to yieldingly reciprocate the plunger toward the forward end 12 of the body A, and is operated by finger pressure. The actuating means includes an actuator 36, a spring 37 yieldingly retracting the actuator 36 and a coupling 38, between the actuator 36 and the plunger 30, yieldingly operating the plunger. The actuator 36 is preferably rectangular in cross section and is an elongate part horizontally disposed and in line with the plunger 39). The actuator 36 is slidably carried in a passageway 39 which extends horizontally through the body A and opensv at the rear Vend 11 thereof, where the actuator is engageable to vbe depressed by the user.

The spring 37 is carried in a cavity formed in the body A and has an arm 43 anchored in the body, and an arm 40 provided with a head 41 for engaging and operating the actuator 36. The head 41 is round in form and is engaged between opposed walls 42 in the actuator.

The coupling 38 acts as a cushion between the actuator 36 and the plunger 3i) and includes a head 45 slidably carried in the actuator 36, and a spring 46 yieldingly urging the head toward the forward end 12 of the body A. The head 45 is secured to and carries the rear end of plunger 30, and is carried in an elongate recess 47 in the actuator 36. A stop or shoulder 4S is provided in the actuator 36 to limit the .forward movement of the plunger relative to the actuator, and the spring 46 is engaged in the recess 47 to act between the forwardly facing -wall 4 2 and the head 45 to urge the plunger forward.

When the actuator .3.6 is andere@ by ,the user o f the device, it moves forward against the pressure of spring 37 and the plunger 30 is reciprocated forward through the passageway 33. It is to be noted, however, that if any undue resistance exists, the spring 46 will compress allowing the plunger 3i) to be stopped so that damage to the plunger, thread or needle will be prevented.

The thread holding means E includes a simple gripping element 55 carried in the body A forward of the means B. As shown in the drawings, the passageway 33 is extended at56 so that when the plunger 30 is in the position sho-.vn in 8, the thread lT is in a position to be engaged by the element 55. The gripping element 55, as shown in the drawings, is a simple folded section of rubber or like resilient material having opposed gripping faces 57 and 58. When the thread is pushed into position, as shown in Fig. 8, and the plunger is withdrawn, the faces 57 and 58 hold the thread in the means E until forcibly retracted therefrom through the passage I24.

The thread cutting means `F that I have provided includes a simple knife element 50 carried in the slot of means C. As shown in the drawings, the knife 50 p ro.- jects forwardly from the wall 26 of the slot between the top r14) and the vertex portion 2S of the slot. The back of the knife faces up and forward, while the cutting edge is faced down. The knife 50 is anchored in the body A between the shells thereof.

In order to thread a needle N, Iit is merely necessary to drop a needle, head down, into the guideway 20 ofthe needle receiving means B, draw a suitable length of thread T through the Slot of the thread receiving means C so that it lies in the vertex portion 28, operate the actuator 36 of the threading means D so that the plunger picks up the thread at means C and transports it through the eye of the needle carried in the means B, release Ythe actuator, and simply pull the needle out of the means B and away from the device. It will be observed from Fig. 6 ofthe drawings, that the eye of the needle will not always be perfectly aligned when the needle is inserted by the user. However, from Fig. 7 of the drawings, it will be apparent how the needle eye is perfectly aligned through action of the plunger 30 and the convergent walls 20F' and 2W?. If for any reason the needle eye does not become aligned, then the spring 46 is compressed, as hereinabove described, to protect the device and the thread and needle handled thereby. When the needle is not aligned upon the first operation `of the plunger, it is merely necessary to reactuate the plunger one .or more times until the needle is in alignment. After alignment of the needle eye the thread is passed through the eye thereof, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, whereupon the actuator re.- leased by the user .so that the plunger 30 is retracted from the thread holding means E leaving the thread held there.- by. The needle and thread are then free to be removed from the device and the thread to be cut olf at ,the desired length by the means F. v

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fail within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A needle threading device including, a body having front and rear ends and a top, an elongate vertically dis,- posed needle receiving guideway entering the top at the front end of the body, a vertically disposed thread re,.- ceiving slot in the top of the body adjacent and to the rear of the guideway, and threading means including a straight horizontally disposed passageway in the body communicating with the lower end o f the slot and guide,.- way and terminating forward of the guideway, ra horizon,- tally disposed plunger positioned in and adapted to recip; rocate in the passageway and intersect the guideway and the Slot i0, ,engage ka Vthread engaged .in the bass Qf 1.19 Slat and push ,it through the .eye of a ascelle essere@ armena the guideway and in alignment with the passageway, and actuating means at the rear end of the body for the plunger, said actuating means having an actuator accessible at the exterior of the body and positioned in and adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in the body and a resilient coupling between the actuator and plunger yieldingly operating the plunger.

2. A needle threading device including, a body having front and rear ends and a top, an elongate vertically disposed needle receiving guideway having parallel vertically disposed forwardly convergent walls and entering the top of the body at the front end thereof, a thread receiving slot in the top of the body adjacent and to the rear of the guideway, threading means including a straight horizontally disposed passageway in the body communicating with the lower end of the slot and guideway and terminating forward of the guideway, a horizontally disposed plunger positioned in and adapted to reciprocate in the passageway to intersect the guideway and the slot, and actuating means for the plunger at the rear end of the body, said actuating means including an actuator accessible at the exterior of the body and positioned in and adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in the body and drive the plunger, said plunger being operable to pick up thread at the base of the slot and pass it to the forward end of the passageway through the eye of a needle in the guideway and aligned with the passageway, and thread holding means at the forward end of the passageway adjacent to and forward of the guideway for retaining the thread when the plunger is retracted and including a folded body of rubber having opposed thread gripping faces held in pressure engagement with each other by the sides of the body.

3. A needle threading device including, a body having front and rear ends and a top, an elongate vertically disposed needle receiving guideway entering the top of the body at the front end thereof, a vertically disposed thread receiving slot in the top of the body adjacent and to the rear or" the guidewa threading means including a straight horizontally disposed passageway extending longitudinally in the body and communicating with the lower ends of the slot and guideway and terminating forward of the guideway, a horizontally disposed plunger positioned in and adapted to reciprocate in the passageway to intersect the guideway and slot to engage a thread engaged in the oase of the slot and push it through the eye of a needle engaged in the guideway and in alignment with the passageway, and actuating means for the plunger at the rear end of the body, said actuating means having an elongate horizontally disposed actuator positioned in and adapted to reciprocate longitudinally in the body, a resilient coupling between the actuator and plunger yieldingly operating the plunger, and thread holding means at the end of the passageway adjacent to and forward of the guideway for retaining the thread when the plunger is retracted, the said resilient coupling including a helical compression spring carried by the actuator and engaging the plunger.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,916 Hertel Mar. 24, 1914 2,507,370 Edwards May 9, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 275,137 Switzerland May 15, 1951 833,893 Germany Mar. 13, 1952 

